Highlighting Agriculture

New England Farm Weekly

Climate change has become a focus of the dairy industry, both because climate change will impact dairy herd performance and because dairy herds impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Not only do dairy farmers have to worry about protecting their cows from the impacts of climate change; they also have to worry about the carbon footprint of the herd. [Read more…]

Consumers are more aware and concerned about the use of antibiotics in livestock than ever before, and some of those concerns are valid.

Dr. Mike Apley, boarded clinical pharmacologist and professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Kansas State University, says that many factors led to the veterinary feed directive or VFD; a topic of much discussion lately among livestock producers.

“It all started back in the 1960s with the concerns about the use of antibiotics in feed for livestock,” said Apley. “There have been numerous reports and studies through that time, waxing and waning, and interest continues to build now.” [Read more…]

The judging for Supreme Champion is a culmination of AADS events for the preceding week. Alan McCauley, AADS President, took a moment to focus on judging guidelines for this particular event, what the judges look for. “You look for straight lines, dairyness, which means angularity and not carrying a lot of excess condition,” he said. “The most important thing is probably a real sound set of feet and legs and a well attached, well balanced udder with proper teat size placement — udder and feet and legs are very, very important.” [Read more…]

Some producers raising Holstein beef calves feed them too long, according to Jim Hogue of Agri-Basics, who has spent 27 years as a nutritionist. “Don’t go by the ‘finish’ on the outside of the animal. Most of the fat deposited in Holstein beef will be internal, and will not be detectable in the live animal,” he explained. “At 1,350 to 1,400 pounds, they’re ready for market. Both you and your buyer will be happier with the results.” [Read more…]

Misty is an 11 year old Brown Swiss owned by Laurie Cuevas and Bruce Jenks under their Hadley, MA based Signature Swiss prefix. Misty won Senior Champion, Grand Champion Brown Swiss and the Ralph W. Rice Memorial Award for best udder of all breeds at the 147th Annual Cummington Fair held the last weekend of August. [Read more…]

The Northeast may not be the hottest region in the country, yet it has seen an increasing amount of hot days, where the temperature-humidity index (THI) rises above 72 points, the level at which thermal neutrality is breeched and dairy cows begin to be negatively impacted by heat stress. Climate change predictions for the region indicate that an increase in the amount of days where a heat stress event occurs, as well as an increase in the duration and intensity of such events, is all but inevitable. [Read more…]

A hayride accident that resulted in the death of a young woman and injury to at least 20 others last fall on a Maine farm garnered national attention, especially among those who look forward to fall- and Christmas-themed attractions hosted by farms.Bill Fetherolf, co-owner of Pioneer Evergreen Farms in Orwigsburg, PA, says on the day following the tragic accident, he was inundated with phone calls from both media and concerned people who wanted to know if the hayride at his farm was safe.

by Sally Colby Young people who are exposed to livestock often have desire to raise animals later in life. That’s the case with Steve and Tina Anderson, of Boiling Springs, PA. Steve grew up in 4-H and FFA, and spent summers working on a cousin’s dairy farm. He recalls knowing that he always wanted to […]